Heavy rains in Goa: Several residents stranded at island, buses stuck

Outside girium, Socorro in Goa. Photo credit: Amit Naik

Panaji: Due to incessant rains flood-like situation arose in Goa. According to news agency PTI report, several people are stranded at Diwar Island near Panaji. Officials said that eight-passenger buses were also stuck on the state's border with Karnataka. Several low-lying areas in Karnataka are inundated due to heavy rains.

The incident came to light after a local resident Manohar Bhomkar, 70, was stranded at the Diwar Island and posted a video on social media that showcased some of the water-logged homes on the island.

As reported by news agency PTI, Bhomkar, who shared the video, said that due to a breach in the embankment of a nearby river, water gushed into their homes. "There is a flood everywhere. The embankment has breached and water is entering the island from all sides. We have been stranded for four days," he said in the video.

Following which State Water Resources Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues said that the government would provide all help to them. However, the exact number of those stranded on the island was not immediately known.

Rodrigues said the government was making all efforts to help those stuck due to flooding at various places. "We will also provide assistance to people at Diwar Island," he said.

Diwar Island is located across the Mandovi river near Panaji and the residents of the island have to use boats to reach Panaji and other areas. However, following heavy showers, the state river navigation department suspended the ferry service to some places, including Diwar Island.

According to reports, heavy showers have been lashing the coastal state for the last one week, due to which the normal lives have affected severely. An official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that at least eight buses carrying several passengers, including students, were stuck on the Goa-Karnataka border since Monday night.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has also directed the officials concerned to rush to Radhanagari village on the state border with Karnataka and conduct rescue operation for the stranded passengers.

"Our teams have rushed to the spot with water and food for the stranded passengers," the official added.

The official previously said to the news agency that nearly 10 people stranded at their waterlogged homes in Pilgaon village of North Goa district. Personals from the disaster management department had carried out rescue operation there and people stranded were evacuated.

He also said that several families were also evacuated from some villages in Bicholim taluka where homes were inundated following the heavy downpour.

Furthermore, 15 more families were also rescued from their homes in Usgao village, which were flooded due to heavy rains.

Sawant conducted an inspection of some flooded villages in low-lying areas of North Goa and parts of the state capital Panaji to assess the situation in the morning.

The chief minister said he would be meeting officials of the education department later in the day to check the monsoon forecast for Wednesday.

"If a similar situation is likely to continue, the education department will announce a holiday for primary and secondary schools in the state on Wednesday," he told reporters. The Mandovi river in the state crossed the danger mark on Monday night, causing flooding in some villages of Sattari taluka in North Goa, another official said. Besides, Sonal village in Sattari was cut-off from other parts of the district after heavy downpour in the area, he added.

The weather department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in both North Goa and South Goa districts in next 24 hours and issued an 'orange alert'. It has predicted strong winds with speed reaching 45 to 50 km per hour and gusting up to 65 kmph along the Maharashtra-Goa coast. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea due to the rough weather, though the fisheries department lifted the ban on fishing in the state from August 1.

With inputs from PTI

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